August 1998

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Webmaster: Jason Morrison

Elliott Smith -- XO

by Lawrence Cabanero

Wedged between Trisha Yearwood and Celine Dion who performed two of the most
popular songs of the year on Top 40 radio, Elliott Smith's humble Oscar
performance of Good Will Hunting's "Miss Misery" surprised everyone who
thought that the Academy couldn't nominate anything that wasn't a Disney
song (or sounded like one at least). The performance gains him more popular
and critical recognition and Mr. Smith goes to Hollywood to record his major
label debut.

Like fellow neo-folksters Duncan Sheik and Rufus Wainwright, on 1997's
Either/Or, Smith has a definite sound that seems to give him a catchy edge
throughout the album. In his case, the overuse his stretchingly
high-pitched, sharp-hitting harmonization on about every track put Smith's
songwriting capabilities slightly into question. With all the hype built
around him, XO was to be a true test of whether he could keep his
acclaim as
he dove into the mainstream.

XO doesn't disappoint though. Smith becomes more daring on the album's
opener "Sweet Adeline" with its loud, scale-descending chorus and the
faultlessly repetitous "Amity". And he doesn't lose any of his charm or
appeal on the hookless "Pitseleh" and "Waltz #1". Musically, the album is
much more varied--sometimes bluesy, sometimes jumpy, sometimes in-between.
He brilliantly joins his music and his words, expressing the feelings and
the situations involved with a man who's life normally doesn't work out
right and alternating depression with hope and anger. "Happy and sad come
in quick sucession" he sings in "Bled White" as if the only confidence he
has is that everything will fall apart. Oddly though, XO has a way
to keep
you from getting depressed yourself. He hurts so cleverly that it's more
likely to make you smile.